Indian cricket stars set to meet PM Modi after Asian Games triumph
Dubai: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet Shreyas Iyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and other members of India’s Asian Games gold-winning cricket team on October 15, following their title-winning campaign in Japan.
According to a report by Indian Express journalist Devendra Pandey, Modi will meet the Asian Games medallists at his residence. The meeting is scheduled to recognise the achievements of Indian athletes, with the men’s cricket team among those who won gold at the Games.
Led by Iyer, India retained their Asian Games cricket medal after beating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final on October 3. India had advanced to the semifinals after their quarterfinal against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain.
They then produced a dominant performance against Sri Lanka, posting 169-7 before bowling their opponents out for just 45 to secure a 124-run victory. Ishan Kishan starred with an unbeaten 80.
In the final, Abhishek Sharma struck 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 from 22 deliveries as India posted 211-6. Pakistan fought back through Hasan Nawaz’s 96, but India restricted them to 192-6 to secure the gold medal.
The reported meeting comes amid India’s ongoing T20 series against the West Indies. The team is scheduled to play the fourth T20 international on October 14, a day before the proposed meeting.
India currently lead the five-match series 2-1 following their 14-run win in Indore. The Men in Blue will look to strengthen their advantage before the final match on October 17.